The automotive industry continues to focus on reducing the weight of vehicles (“light weighting”) to meet customer expectations on fuel economy and CAFE requirements. To achieve weight reductions, interest in alternative materials, including aluminum-intensive vehicle applications, has increased. Joining methods for vehicle bodies have traditionally relied on resistance-spot welding (e.g., in steel structures). In the case of aluminum-intensive vehicles and other mixed-metal joining applications, mechanical joining technology may replace spot welding. Examples of mechanical joining technologies may include self-piercing rivets (SPR), friction element welding (FEW), and flow drill screws (FDS). Mechanical joining technologies may allow for high production assembly processes. In addition, they may be compatible with adhesive, where both methods can be used in conjunction. As mixed material joining continues to grow, one concern for mechanical joining is corrosion. Without a way to manage corrosion in mixed material joints, their use may be limited.